Security Alarm System

[Rayth Kaled]

I'm looking at replacing my Security Alarm and thought it would be an idea to get something that can work with Housebot, has anyone got any recommendations or experience with this. I'm in the UK so I need something I can buy here.

[Richard Naninck]

You could configure a reasonable secure alarm using Extended X10 devices together with the W800. X10 has keychain remotes, motion sensors, glass detectors and door sensors all wireless. The W800 receives it all and there is a plugin for HouseBot to support the W800. You could knock yourself out with very complex vbscripts or just setup very simpel tasks. When the alarm is not armed, te same sensors could be used to switch lights on in certain rooms when motion is detected.

[RobertMyHTPC]

You may want to look at the DSC line. I am pretty certain it is available where you live. DSC manufactures an rs232 to keybuss converter that works like a champ. I use Meedio to front end command from Girder.

[talisman]

You could just get a rapid japanese fighting hampster and leave it loose around your house.



Place will be as secure as hell :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Steve Horn]

I'm planning on the same thing - upgrade the security system. I've settled on the ELK M1 controller family. It should be able to talk to Housebot, as it has the capability to send and receive ASCII strings through its serial port. I suspect that any controller that can do the same thing would work with a HB enabled PC. The ELK should be available in UK - I found it in the US at Worthington (http://www.worthdist.com) .

[TakeFlight]

I'm just about ready to replace my X10 DS7000 security console entirely with HouseBot. I've got HouseBot configured to replicate the Home and Away modes of the security console. But instead of using the keychain remotes, I'm using a PalmPad remote to arm in either mode. If it's in Home mode, a simple button push on the PalmPad will disarm the system. I don't feel I need the disarming in Home mode to be any more secure. However, in Away mode I've got HouseBot configured so that you have to punch a PIN number into the PalmPad using a simple VB script and sleep timer. I have the 10 second sleep timer kick off when you punch the first number in the sequence. After that, the VB script launches and looks for the remaining button pushes to complete the PIN number within the 10 seconds the sleep timer is running otherwise it resets and waits for you to start the PIN sequence again. If the button pushes equals the predefined PIN number the system disarms. Also, I'm dual tasking the same PalmPads to be used as a general home automation remote control (like what it was intended for). When the alarm is either disarmed or in Home mode the PalmPad controls my various lighting macros. When the alarm is in Away mode all the PalmPad lighting macros get disabled and the PalmPads turn into security keypads waiting for you to enter the correct PIN. So far, everything seems to be working great. I've got HouseBot turning some lights on and flashing other lights and sounding the X10 sirens if the alarm is tripped. I'm using all my existing X10 security motion detectors and door/window sensors. I've also got HouseBot controlling the recording of video from 4 different cameras (using Windows Media Encoder and simple batch files along with a modified version of the sample wmcmd.vbs script that comes with the WME SDK). All four cameras are being captured in one video file in a quad view on the screen (I'm feeding them through an external quad processor). And last, I get a text message on my PDA and an email if the alarm gets triggered along with a link to the uploaded surveillance video on my website. :)



And this is just the security aspect of my HouseBot configuration. I have the normal lighting macros that you would expect as well as a few software remotes to control everything. I also have CallerID to my SageTV clients as well as my software remotes, I'm using Wake On LAN to turn on the SageTV computer in my living room and I've got some lights that turn on/off with timers. My next projects are to start working on music playlists and controlling them via my software remotes, motion activated exterior lighting and voice recognition.



I love HouseBot! :) I've got all this set up in only about 1 month of playing around with HouseBot. I can't imagine what I'm going to have set up many months from now! :)

[TakeFlight]

Just an update for anybody that cares. I've officially unplugged my X10 DS7000 security console and my housebot server is now the heart of my security system. I've got the same functionality I had before plus many additional benefits. I had considered running the X10 security console side-by-side with housebot but in the end, it just seemed unnecessary. The only downside is if there is a power outage. I have the housebot server on a UPS but it will probably only provide about 20 or so minutes of runtime. After that, no alarm. But, I'm willing to live with that risk. Eventually it would be nice to get a much more powerful UPS to give me a few hours of runtime.



The disarming via a PIN number from a PalmPad remote is working very well. I now feel my X10 based security system is a bit more secure than it was before. I was never crazy about the idea of a simple button push from a wireless remote being able to disarm the system. I wasn't just worried about it from the standpoint of somebody trying to defeat the system. I worried that the disarm button might get pressed by accident as I'm getting in my car and leaving my house. In fact, that did happen a couple of times. Now that can no longer happen! :)



Here is what housebot does for me if a motion or door/window sensor is triggered:



-records video and uploads to my website from 4 different cameras in a quad view using windows media encoder and batch files

-send me an email and text message with the URL to the uploaded video as well as telling me which sensor was triggered

-turn on various lights in my house and leave them on for 30 minutes

-flash other lights on and off along with 3 different x10 sirens sounding for 4 minutes

-repeat a text-to-speech "intruder alert..." message for the same 4 minutes that the sirens are sounding and lights are flashing



I have timer lights that come on at various times only when the system is armed in AWAY mode. I'm also thinking about having housebot start music playing at various times during the day when the system is armed in AWAY mode to make the house seem occupied. :) This might not be a bad idea since most break-ins happen from 9am-3pm.



I have a flood light out back and another one out front over my garage. Both are currently controlled by hardwired timers. I plan to replace the timers with X10 wall switches and then place a few motion detectors outside and have the floods controlled by housebot.

[talisman]

Sounds fantastic there mate, bet that took a while to set all that up. nice one!

[TakeFlight]

It definitely has consumed a bit of my time lately. Especially when you consider I just started using HouseBot only 1.5 months ago! :)



Over the weekend I mounted a few outside wireless X10 motion detectors and replaced the hardwired timers on two outside flood lights with X10 wall switch modules. I now have HouseBot turning those flood lights on for 5 minutes based on motion only at night time. I had the wall modules and motion detectors lying around so it made for a cheap way to get motion activated exterior lights without having to replace the lights. Plus, now I get to monitor and control via HouseBot which is better than a regular motion activated light anyway. :)



I plan to add a couple more outside motion detectors for use with the flood lights as well as triggering cameras to record.

[talisman]

Cool. Im looking at doing the same for my outside lights too.

[talisman]

what palmpad you using for the additonal security???



sounds a good idea.

[TakeFlight]

I'm just using the standard X10 Palm Pad remote...



http://www.x10.com/automation/x10_hr12a.htm



Actually, I have 4 of them in various places in my house. They double as home automation remotes (like what they're intended for) as well as security keypads. When the alarm is in Away mode, all the lighting macros are disabled and the only thing the palm pads do is act as a security alarm keypad.



I also have a housebot software remote screen on my iPAQ for arming and disarming my system as well via WiFi (again, with PIN number).

[talisman]

How are you using that to enter a PIN?

[TakeFlight]

There's probably a few different ways this could be accomplished but what I'm doing is using a VB Script to "look" for the PIN number. I have one of the palm pad buttons designated as the "command" button. Meaning, when you press this button, a task in housebot is activated that launches the VB script. The script then loops for a specified period of time (I have it set to 7 seconds using a housebot sleep timer). While the script loops, it looks for the X10 Controller Composite Property to change. If it does, it then looks for X10 commands that are on a specific house code (which I have the palm pad set to). When it sees an X10 command on this house code it appends this command to a variable. In the script, it compares this variable to a predefined set of commands (for example: A;1;OnA;3;OffA8;OffA4;On) which is essentially the PIN number. When the variable matches the predefined command string the script changes a property in housebot that then causes another task to run that disarms the system and the script then ends. If the string never matches, after 7 seconds the script ends and the system is back waiting for you to hit the "command" button again.



I hope that made sense. :)

[talisman]

thats clever as f**k mate.



think im going to spend a few quid and get my alarm up and running and play with it as you have done. (i do like this idea of a pin number.)



Where you actually from mate the states??.



Think ill be asking for some of you advise on setting that bit up soon.